Second chance romance with a dash of enemies to lovers, For the Record is a great read about two rock stars whose stars are fading.all they need toteignite their careers is to team up. They learn that what they thought was love unrequited, was really only love afraid to shine. If you're looking for a great beach or cold weather read, this is a nice choice.

For the Record follows Mackenzie and Sam, two rival music artists who have avoided each other for two years but now to save their careers and appease their record label are forced to work together to make new music.

The tropes:
- found family 👯‍♀️👦
- Close proximity 🛶
- He falls first ❤️
- Second chance romance 🎼
- “Enemies” to lovers 🎸
Spice Level: 2🌶️

The book has lots of the classic tropes I enjoy and the premise of two music stars needing a recharge to their careers was fun. But I felt like there wasn’t enough of a conflict to keep me hooked to what was going to happen next.

I liked the banter between Mack and Sam, especially the pool scene where they both started to open up to each other. The glimpses back to when they first met was fun, but I really would have loved a whole chapter devoted to a flashback so we could get a true sense of how they interacted as a rivals. The last few chapters were
well written and played out like a classic rom-com movie in my head.

Overall I found the book fell a bit flat for me. but if you’re looking for an easy Happily Ever After, with very minimal bumps in the road, this book might be for you. Thank you to St. Martin’s press for providing this book for consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this! I ADORED IT. 5/5 stars for me.
Mackenzie (a former pop princess) and Sam (a former punk baddie) with an old enemies rivalry are reunited by their label to produce a duet album. Mack has faded away, hiding behind a singing alter ego in this worlds tik tok while Sam has embraced a quiet life as an unexpected father. As you can guess, traveling down memory lane (the songs all represent old 'haunts' of their entangled lives) brings them from enemies to 'just having fun' to lovers.
I really loved that this was told from both POVs, as understanding their attraction to each other really needed both lenses to really anchor the chemistry. There's a ton here on the music industry and how wonderfully awful it can be, which I found super intriguing. The cast of characters, particularly the rest of Mackenzie's band, were done really well too: there are some clear friendship focuses that I think really help to drive who these two are as humans.
I don't read a ton of musician stories, as so many times the romance and plot depth gets lost in discussing lyrics and melodies, but here I think it is perfectly balanced. You get to be inside their heads as musicians, as lovers, as individualized people: I just adored this from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

This was a cute read about two former rival musicians with a past, both of whom are looking for a comeback, who come together to record an album as a duet. Emma Lord is such a comfort author for me and I love the way she develops her female protagonists- Mackenzie was the most compelling part of this book for me, and I loved the sideplot of her anonymously releasing music under a pseudonym. Definitely felt the Swiftie inspiration with her. I didn't love Sam's chapters, though- so many of his lines felt so cliché to me, and his character didn't seem to match the complexity of Mackenzie. I also feel like perhaps his character got reworked along the line, because he definitely came off as a country singer but was described as a punk rocker- never really got that vibe from him. I also would've loved to see more of the story delve into Mack and Sam's days with their former bands. Overall, a fun slow burn.

SO cute, I liked this book! The enemies-to-lovers trope with the music/rockstar theme was something I really enjoyed. The story was fast-paced and easy to get into, which made it hard to put down. However, I felt some of the side plots could have been developed more. For example, the mention of Mackenzie not having a close relationship with her parents throughout the book, but by the end, they're suddenly at her wedding with an improved relationship. It felt like there could have been more details of this relationship.

Overall, it was a great read, and I’m definitely excited to read more of Emma Lord’s books in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! This book will be published on August 12th.

I’m not going to lie, I was in a major book slump when I picked this book up. However, what I wasn’t expecting is for it to be so dang good that it put me into ANOTHER major book slump. Mackenzie and Sam’s chemistry is number one on the Billboard charts!! I felt like seeing both POVs made it so that I really felt like I knew them.

A fun read with some little twists along the way!

Brief overview:
Mackenzie, a former girl group pop star, is given an opportunity to re-enter the spotlight. The only catch? She has to team up with her former rival and tour mate, Sam. As Mack and Sam revisit their old haunts, they may revisit some old feelings too.

My thoughts:
This gave me bits of Honey mixed with current events and of course some cute banter and a little spice. Definitely a fun read for those of us that like rom-coms and loved choosing which Spice Girl we were with our friends.

Was I sobbing at 10:30pm finishing this book, yes. Did I love every minute of it, also yes. The banter between Mack + Sam was one of my favorites — a slowwww burn with a redemption second chance love, this rockstar romcom absolutely delivered! But also, when can I get my hands on this imaginary album?🎶

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the
ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book!! There was so much to like. But bottom line for me was this book was all about relationships! The obvious thing was Mackenzie and Sam. Their relationship was so sweet and they had such good chemistry.
But I loved so many of the other relationships in the book. None of them were perfect and had their own flaws, but they felt real! I appreciated a bit of a redemption arc with Caspar and Sam and Mackenzie and her parents - we can only imagine that slowly those relationships will rebuild.
The only thing that could have made this book any better was an actual playlist to go along with it!

I adore Emma’s writing and always have a blast reading her books, For the Record is no exception. I’m a mood reader in the mood for a rockstar romance and this one delivered that and more. It added the complexity of a them both being famous with a second chance romance mixed in. I subtracted a star as I think some of the side characters/ plots could have been left out but the main characters needed a little more emotional depth. But overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!!
I love Emma Lord’s writing and this book was no different. I fell in love with the characters and the world of music was so fun to explore. All the lyrics and things were so clever. I could see hints of things that reminded me of real artists but I don’t think the couple was based on a real couple. (Watch me be so wrong) It was spicier than the past books I’ve read by her so just be aware if you are not a fan of that.

For the Record by Emma Lord is another absolute gem—heartfelt, charming, and full of the signature warmth I adore from her books. With music, romance, and a journey of self-discovery, this story hits all the right notes. Emma Lord never misses, and this one is no exception!

This was pure joy on every page!

For the Record by Emma Lord leaves some of the whimsy of Lord's usual work and moves forward into the adult genre. Lord tackles hard topics like unexpected parenthood, life changing illnesses, and losing your best friend because emotions are hard to articulate. I wish we got more of the music aspect of the theme, and didn't rely so heavily on the miscommunication trope. Overall a solid 4 stars though

I loved this one! This is very heavy on the 1989 vibes (Taylor's version, of course), and as a huge Swiftie, I was loving that for me! This popstar romance is so fun! I loved both Mackenzie and Sam and I am dying to hear this imaginary album.

Emma Lord can do no wrong!

Thank you so much to Emma Lord, St. Martins Press, and Netgalley for allowing me to read the ARC for this amazing book!

Rating: 4 ⭐️
Spice: 2-2.5 🌶️ (I'm awful at rating spice level LOL)

Tropes: Rivals to Lovers, Second Chance, Secret Identity, Famous Rockstar/Famous Popstar

Let me start off by saying, I AM A SUCKER FOR BOOKS ABOUT FAMOUS PEOPLE. If you are a famous popstar/rockstar/princess/queen, I WILL EAT IT UP. This book is written in a dual POV format. We follow Mackenzie (popstar) and Samuel (rockstar), who were touring together as rival music groups. However, we are placed in the present time, when both of their bands have disbanded, but they want to sing and produce again.

Pros: Mack and Sam have history. A WHOLE LOT OF HISTORY. While they were touring, they were really trying to act and play a part that may have hurt how they were really feeling about each other in the process. I loved that we got to read about them in the present, because their feelings towards each other start UNRAVELLING at an amazing pace. THERE WAS SO MUCH ANGST AND TENSION. I kept thinking to myself "PLEASE JUST KISS ALREADY", but that's the best part. The buildup was AMAZING. I love Sam. The shit that comes out of his mouth is COMEDIC GOLD.

Cons: This book lacked some emotional depth at some certain parts of the book. Mack and Sam's growth could have been elaborated a bit more and there were some story points that I felt rushed on. Other than those minor critiques, this book was such an easy read. It felt like a YA novel that had spice.

Overall, this book was an enjoyable read. I appreciated how easy Emma's writing is, so it's an easy read for anybody. Thank you again for the ARC!

This was a cute and quick read that I really enjoyed! The main female character in particular was a great story to me and I thought it was executed well. The middle got a little slow and I wish we could have seen more back story but overall a good time!

“For the Record” is a second chance romance by Emma Lord. This was a very cute idea - former rival musicians Mackenzie and Sam agree to work together. They’re older and a bit wiser, which adds some maturity to this book. This is a sweet easy read - one that could be finished at the pool or a nice beach read. I found myself being a little bored - there’s tension between the two, but there were a number of side things that were mentioned but not really explored (and some of those side things sounded interesting to explore). I’d give this author another try - this just may not have been the book for me, but I can see others really enjoying it!

Music meets romance is always a good trope for me. The buildup of this relationship is excellent, there is so much history and the tension that has been building is very well developed. You do not get to wonder why there is beef/history etc. you get to live through it. The music writing scenes are great and I just wish there was an audio accompaniment of the songs. For one of the few times I actually really do agree with the blurb: for fans of Emily Henry and Daisy Jones and the Six. It has the music insider and the emotion through song of daisy Jones, but the quick banter, great characters and lovely romance developed by Emily Henry. A sweet and quick read for the summer. I think one of my favorite things are the savory concoctions that Ben keeps creating, I kind of want to go buy them.

This was such an unexpectedly fun read!

This book was paced really well, and the romance between Sam and Mackenzie developed at a satisfying pace- plus no 3rd act breakup?? Chef’s kiss 👌🏼

The MC’s had likeable, well-developed personalities, and the cast of side characters were really well-rounded for a relatively short book. I loved watching Mackenzie and Sam work through both their individual struggles, and their relationship. I felt like Serena and Hannah’s stories could have been fleshed out more, but given the length of the book, and the fact that they weren’t our main focus, I really can’t complain! Ben’s character of course, was the absolute sweetest.

I was pleasantly invested in the plot as well as the romance, and the resolution (as well as the epilogue 😍) were sweet and satisfying.

Absolutely recommend for a lighthearted rom-com. My first Emma Lord book, but definitely not my last 😊

I'm so happy to be reading (the) Lord's work once again! I reviewed an advanced copy of "The Break-Up Pact" last August (<a href ="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6343536575">which I absolutely adored</a>), so thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of Emma Lord's "For the Record" :)

In "For the Record," ex-popstar Mack Waters and ex-rockstar Sam Blaze hope to revive their careers by collaborating on a joint comeback album. The problem? They're rivals (sorta) and exes (kinda), and well, there's just a whole lot of unresolved tension that they've both ignored for the past two years. This enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance is mature and complex. Throughout the novel, Lord undertook multiple subplots and complex themes (navigating romantic, familial, and platonic relationships, health scares, parenthood, and the viciousness of the music industry) without losing sight of the plot.

Despite its breadth, "For the Record" was such a fun read! I truly enjoy the way Emma Lord writes dialogue, and I fell in love with Mack and Sam's banter in the first chapter. As a music girly, I appreciated the little Taylor Swift nuggets throughout the novel. Taylor definitely influenced Mack's characterization - she's America's sweetheart who has had a lot of bad luck in love, and her relationship with her parents definitely gives "mirrorball" vibes (iykyk, folklore girlies rise). Not to mention, the record label's contract screwing with Tick Tune users and former pop/rock-stars alike was very reminiscent of Swift's battle with Big Machine Records.

I was pleasantly entertained - my only critique was that it was a quick read. I wish there was a dual timeline to expand on the story; the chapters that took place during the prime of Thunder Hearts and Candy Shard left me wanting more, and it would've been so much fun to dive into Mack and Sam's past "will they, won't they" relationship. I also would've liked to see the early days of both bands to delve a bit more into the predatory nature of their recording contracts. Despite this (very minor) critique, this book definitely deserves five stars.

Emma Lord's "For the Record" is a mature yet light read, perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Sussman's "Once More with Feeling," and Jenkins Reid's "Daisy Jones and the Six." Be sure to pick up a copy of "For the Record" when it releases on August 12!

*******

The following was commented while reading: “This seems to be a theme with Sam - negotiating for my time. Maybe it should worry me that the more time we’ve spent together, the more I’m willing to give” just to have Sam say “‘Lucky thing I’m good at keeping time’,” right before kissing Mack oooohhhhh Emma Lord pardon me I was not aware of your game!!!!!"